South Africa secure series whitewash

Habibul Bashar's half century proved in vain as South Africa completed a 3-0 whitewash of Bangladesh in the third one-day international on Wednesday.

South Africa replied to Bangladesh's total of 151 with 152 for three in 25.4 overs to win by seven wickets. The home side won the first game in the three match series by 168 runs, and the second by 10 wickets.

Bashar, playing in his first match of the rubber, faced 67 balls and hit six fours for his 51, Bangladesh's only half century of the series. The number three's solid batting stabilised an innings that teetered twice while he was at the crease.

South Africa's reply was a patchwork of minor contributions, led by Martin van Jaarsveld's 42. Van Jaarsveld attacked the bowling and hit nine fours, despite the fact that batting conditions deteriorated after Bangladesh's innings with the ball often bouncing low off the pitch.

Jonty Rhodes, who scored 30 not out, and Ashwell Prince, on 14, took South Africa to victory with an unbroken stand of 49.

Herschelle Gibbs, who scored a career best 153 in the first match and 97 not out in the second, was bowled by medium pacer Tapas Baishya for 15.

Bangladesh were reduced to 15 for two in the fifth over of their innings when paceman Steve Elworthy had Javed Omar caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for three and Rafiqul Islam taken at second slip by van Jaarsveld without scoring.

SEAM MOVEMENT

Elworthy and his new ball partner, Makhaya Ntini, obtained movement off the seam and through the air in their opening spells.

Bashar and Sanwar Hossain halted the slide with a stand of 68 off 93 balls for the third wicket, which fell in the 20th over when Shaun Pollock trapped Hossain in front for 23.

Two balls later, Pollock dismissed Tushar Imran in the same fashion for a duck as Bangladesh slipped to 83 for four.

Bashar went five overs later when he fended a lifting delivery from Ntini to Rhodes at backward point.

Most of the rest of the Bangladesh batting order subsided under the contrasting onslaught of Pollock and left arm spinner Robin Peterson, with the last seven wickets tumbling for 68 runs and the last four for one run.

Pollock finished with four for 24, while Peterson took two for 39.

Mail Cricket Editor